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I have a trail about 10' wide going down a hill in the woods behind my house. This particular section has a ~10-15% grade. It receives regular foot, tractor, and log skidding (i.e. behind the tractor) traffic, so there's not much that grows in the pathway (and planting some kind of turf grass won't work). The soil is gravelly under the duff layer. The area receives minimal light since this is going through the woods. The edge of the trail is a mix of brush, saplings, and large trees -- more the latter than the former.

When we get heavy rain, parts of the trail wash out. It can be repaired, but I prefer prevention over cure.

What are my options for preventing erosion on this trail?

bstpierre
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1 Answers1

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Suggestion gleaned from here.

You might try some water bars. This is a small trench at an angle (30-40 degrees) to the trail at intervals filled with rocks or a log. These will catch water and shunt it to the sides of the trail so that it will not flow down your path. They also suggest digging drainage ditches along the sides of the trail to catch the water.

Id suggest (partly because they are effective and partly because they are really pretty) forsythia planted along the sides of the ditches to prevent erosion of the sides of the ditches.

Something like mulch or landscape fabric might also be worth considering, but so far it looks like water bars may be your best bet.

wax eagle
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